BRIEFLY

IBM is offering free software with some PCs.

The company confirmed that it is providing dealers with free software to accompany certain of its personal computers. "Promotions like this are common and routine," said IBM spokesman John Pope. However, the New York Times reported that some software executives, gathered in Atlanta for a trade show, attacked the move. The executives complained that IBM's action indicated that the company was trying to use its industry-leading position to grab a large share of software sales.